The present invention relates to a decorative lighting system and, more particularly, to a decorative lighting system providing the appearance of architectural trim, for mounting on buildings and other structures.
It has long been common practice to adorn architectural structures with lighting displays. Seasonal lighting displays are frequently hung, for example, on homes, particularly during the Christmas season. In simplest form such a display may consist of no more elaborate an arrangement than a string of lights wired together in a row, attached by staples or other suitable fastening means to the exterior of the home, and generally positioned to outline the various architectural features thereof. Because of the difficulty of installation, removal, and subsequent storage of long strings of lights, many homeowners are inclined to leave the lights in place, long after the holiday season for which they were intended has passed. As a result, the unprotected lights are subject to the deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to the elements, and when unlit, detract from the overall appearance of the structure to which they are applied.
Numerous lighting displays have been heretofore suggested in the art for purposes of home and other like structural decoration, which provide a neater, more attractive appearance, particularly when not in active use, and which include structure affording protection of the lighting elements from the weather to permit permanent installation if so desired. Generally such lighting systems provide a protective housing within which is disposed a row of lighting elements. Common to most of these approaches is structure permitting movable orientation of the lights contained within the housing from a position in which they are hidden within a protective and/or decorative housing, to an exposed position for active viewing when illuminated. Alternatively, structural components of the housing, rather than the lights themselves, are movable to reveal the otherwise enclosed or obscured lights for viewing as desired. These aforementioned arrangements require mechanical components which potentially complicate user assembly and installation, and which tend to increase manufacturing as well as resultant consumer costs.
Prior decorative lighting systems have also heretofore been directed to structural improvements permitting simplified user installation. One such system, particularly directed to the problem of customization of path length of various lighting track portions, utilizes a flexibly constructed mounting support structure having light sources interspersed along a length thereof, and which may be cut, for example by a scissor or other household implement, into segments as necessary to conform to particular selected paths of attachment to be highlighted. Such custom versatility is accomplished however by compromising a formalized housing structure directed to protection of functional components from adverse environmental influences. Also, the flexible base structure of such a system, which is generally attached to a support structure by means of a self adhesive backing, is potentially prone to buckling, particularly when the nature of the attachment surface or irregularities thereon do not permit conformable engagement over a length of attachment.
A lighting system permitting versatile sizing capability in a form providing facilitated user installation, long term structural integrity and extended protection of the operative components from exposure to the elements, and which is structurally configured to attractively accent the features of a structure to which it is mounted and which serves to effectively camouflage the lighting elements housed therein when not in active use, would therefore be highly desirable.